Record numbers of people to change name by deed poll

Record numbers of people are expected to change their name by deed poll this
year with 50,000 expected to by December.

In July alone, the UK Deed Poll service issued a record number of changes, just under 5,000, up 23 per cent.

Some of the more eccentric names requested and accepted include Michael Bevan, who changed his name to Happy Days Goldfinder, Richard Merrison to Richie Rockstar, and Adam Neil Osen, to None of the Above.

A father and son, Darren Rolph and Paul Lamb, each changed their name to Queens Park Rangers, after the London football club.

And Colin Brewer, whose eight-year-old son Tiger earlier this week became the youngest person to "wing-walk" on a plane, changed his name to Happy Birthday Brewer.

While the first five months of the year saw a reduction in applications, June, July and August have seen a sizeable increase in those applying to change.

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The service is now forecasting 50,000 name changes by the end of the year which would eclipse last year's record of more than 46,000.

The deed poll service has only declined two applications so far this year on the grounds they were inappropriate, one being Paul Ima Slapper Darling, the other ----- Lips Larkasaurous.

"For the first five months to May, applications were down on last year, which we expected with the recession. However, applications for this period were only down by two per cent, which is much less than we forecast - we thought a 10 per cent reduction would be nearer the mark." said Mike Barratt, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Deed Poll Service.

"However since June, applications have increased to the extent that we have been saying 'What recession?'

"To be honest, we don't know for sure why the past three months are so much up on last year. My guess is that people were being cautious and holding off their name change during the first five months of the year but are now going ahead. It's not as though a deed poll is a major or repeat purchase."